Sharing design objects such as surfaces and alignments across drawings can provide major savings in project time lines, if done correctly.
Three main methods are available for sharing data within a project. These are also known as data reference types:
- External references (xrefs), in which the contents of one drawing (DWG) is referenced in another.
- Data shortcuts between DWGs
- Object references in Autodesk Vault
For a detailed description of each method, including advantages, limitations, and best practices, see the project management topics in the Autodesk Civil 3D Best Practices Guide.
A best practice common to all project structures is to organize individual design objects such as alignments and surfaces in separate drawings. These objects are referenced into base drawings during the design process. Complete engineering plans and final production drawings are prepared with a combination of object references and drawing references.
